I’ve today completed the South coast loop of Cuba traveling the full length of the South coast in an anti-clockwise direction starting and ending in Holguin. It’s taken 11 days of riding plus 1 rest day to do the very hilly nearly 1000km. I had overnight stays in:- Bayamo (From Haiguin), Manzanillo, Marea delPortillo, Uvero, Playa?, Guatanamo, Yacobe , Baracoa, Moa, Mayari, Holguin
Roughest road sections are a tie between Portillo and Uvero or Baracoa to Moa
Hilliest by far is Yacobe to Baracoa but every day has seen a good selection of hills 🙁
Worst aspect of Cuban biking is the belching trucks 🙂 but in between them the roads are deserted,
Plenty more to say anon but I’ve a lot to do as now I want to start on the header map 🙂
I set of before 5am in the pitch black, thank goodness I had rigged up the super bright LED lamps. My stomach was feeling ver queasy and I soon found myself doing emergency stops every few miles 🙁 was it a bug in the infirmary or was it the food?
Imias was holding a full scale fiesta, still going strong at 5am! The Spaniards are truly an amazing race, partying all night, just close the main highway and I’ve yet to see them drink any water!
I stopped in Cajobabo to try and find some water before the mountain pass, The panaderia filled up my bottle and gave me a coffee with some dried up bread, some breakfast for the mountain ahead.
Then it was climbing, impossible to walk as it was way to far so it was crawling up in the lowest of low gears with every little downhill I thought that was the top alas not so. Plus still stopping every few miles, eventually I reached the summit.
At the summit there is a cafe alas he only sells beer and polishes his counter 🙁 I’m totally sure there is a very non-socialist fix up going on over here controlled by some very large multi national drinks company all the soft drinks are sold in the latest aluminum cans etc and nobody sells the refresco fruits like in Media Luna.
So down I hurtled only to face yet another climb. Eventually I spotted a friendly looking old lady in her garden and asked her about a refresco fruita – she disappeared inside and bought out a yummy homemade banana & mango smoothie, no ice but was cool 🙂 🙂 refortified I continued into Baracoa.
Watch the manholes
It might have been part of a Lonely Planet once but nothing guarantees the end of a lonely place more than appearing in the guide! Baracoa was heaving, the Casa where my Geordie amigo’s were staying was full plus the place recommended by the German girls. Eventually a local guy came to help out he took me to a place, obviously not in Lonely Planet! But still acceptable if somewhat expensive for $24, so capitalism does work 🙂
I spent the whole night, 15 hours in bed, with the worst diarrhea ever, fortunately the fridge was filled with water and the shower worked 🙂
I’m staying here for at least a day to hopefully recover from my night in the infirmary!
Guantanamo is a pleasant enough working city, I loved the city centre shop stocked with washing machines like some warehouse, only one model though! I left after a poor nights sleep proving that price doesn’t always equate with comfort. I biked past the loco sheds, apparently the Cuban rail network is currently down, so it was safe to lug my bike across loads of tracks. Past the militarized bit around the US base, although where does that rainline go with it’s new smart level crossing? Up the massive hill where you can look out over the US base if you go to the very top, no I didn’t! You then hit the banana plantations and yes even roadside stalls selling coconuts & bananas although each item in the stall is sold by a different seller. Bananas were 25p a bunch and coconuts 25p for 2.
Along the way the guys from Newcastle pulled up in their MG 🙂 and gave me some energy bars sorely tempted to hop in the back 🙂 . Quite a few cyclists coming the other way, I saw 3 different couples came past, one lot on Brompton’s, they must have been German as not as much as a smile came across. I was going to stop in San Antonio but at a cafe (yes they almost exist) I got harangued by a drunk so left. No one was willing to put me up which is remarkable when you consider the going rate is equivalent to a months wages!
Loco sheds in Guatanamo
Eventually I came across the Campismo Yacabo to be met by a stony faced lady who made it clear the place was full, I hung around using the campside bar 🙂 after a while some guy called me over and showed me their infirmary, well it had a bed, toilet and a hosepipe so that’s where I slept. Dinner was $6 and they charged $12 for the first aid room. 4 German girls were also staying, they had biked over from Baracoa and the look on their faces didn’t bode well for me tomorrow plus they complained about the campside food….
48.6 miles biked with around 1800 feet of ascent no wonder I’m feeling knackered!
Today marks the end of my first week biking in Cuba with over 360 miles biked and according to my InReach 320 tracking points sent which means I have been travelling for just over 53 hours. The InReach seems to be working well with Sally, Nick, Obliquepanic and The TruffleHound all giving favorable comments about the system although I guess they must wonder why there are quite so many stops en-route!
I left Club Amiga really early at sunrise on Wednesday to try and reach Santiago. However at a beach just before Santiago I made the fatal mistake of going for a swim, the water is way, way to warm so it wasn’t refreshing at all, some guy on the beach told me about the homestay which overlooked it so after 51 miles and over 10 hours I quit and stayed the night. The day was very tough and I walked up some of the hills as it seems quicker and less effort (plus I’m scared stiff of the chain snapping with all my tools stupidly left in Havana)
A few moments later the heavens opened!
This morning (Thursday 12th) I left at sunrise with no breakfast as the host wasn’t up until I was halfway up the drive 🙁 we had a bit of a do about the price with her insisting my dinner last night was $5 and not included in my $20 – I made it clear what I thought of her and left her theaagreed $20! I quickly made it to Santiago and happened on the Hotel Casa Grand in the centre with its all you can eat breakfast for $10. A couple car touring from Newcastle had a chat plus a French couple (living in Zurich) the poor girl had fallen off with a grazed leg and face. The folks on this side of Santiago are nowhere as near as friendly and one guy in La Mayo even slung a piece of fruit at me! The road side stands no longer sell the delicious refresco home made iced juices etc also the roadside animals have changed from pigs and goats to cows. The last 10 miles were biked in a torrential downpour with much lightening and thunder so I didn’t arrive in Guantanamo until after dark. I couldn’t face a homestay so booked into Hotel Mari at $41 per night slap bang in the centre of party central, I’m totally sure Iwill sleep throught it all.
Over 67 miles biked in 12 hours.
The next few days are going to be even hillier according the map pinned up outside.
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